Improvement in gill-nets for catching fish



y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIS COOK, 0F HADDAM, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN GlLL-NETS FOR CATCHING FISH.

Specification forming part of VLetters'Patent No. 3,004, dated March 17, 1843.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRIS COOK, of Haddam, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Mode ci; Protecting Gill-Nets from In:

jury by Vessels; andIdo hereby declare that Y lines, and leads combined and a suicient number of buoys, which rest upon the surface of the water to keep the net from coming,` in contact with the bottom ofthe river.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construct-ion and operation.

I construct my gill-netin the usualform-viz-, with net, lead-line, cork-line, leads, corks, 85e.; butI employ only about one-eighth of the usual number of corks, as shown at D D D in the accompanyin ,fr drawin c', By this arrangement the apparatus will sink belenr the surface of the Water, and now, to prevent it from reaching' the bottom of the river, I use a number of coming in contact with it.

buoys, B B B, which iioat upon the surface ot' the Water, and are connected to the cork-line O severally by cords at an equal distance apart. The length of the cords may be in proportion to the depth of water, for the net will sink the length of the cords below the surface of the Water, aud vessels drawing less than the length of said cords can pass over the net without Thus I am enabled to sh Wit-h my net successfully and undisturbed while vessels are sailing up and down the river, and that, too, directlyover the net.

What I Aclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method herein described of sinking nets below the surface of the water to protect them from injury by the employment of a smaller number of corks than will float the net, lines, and leads, when combined With buoys resting on the surface of the `water to preserve the net, 85e., from sinking to the bottom, as herein described.

HARRIS COOK.

Witnesses:

JUSTIN M. SMITH, WILLARD CooK. 

